Tube cleaner



Oct. 31, 1933.

J. H. YOUNG TUBE CLEANER Filed June 4, 1932 INV N'roR Q4 WM M ZhMS ATTORNEY5 Patented Oct. 31, 1933 TUBE CLEANER James Henry Young, New York, N. as- 9 signer to Thomas C. Wilson, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 4, 1932. Serial No. 615,285

11 Claims.

This invention relates to cleaning devices of the type used for cleaning tubes and is concerned more particularly with a rotary cleaner especially suited for removing the scale from boiler tubes, still tubes, etc.

The devices, which are now commonly used for cleaning the interior of boiler tubes and the like, comprise a body which is rotated and moved through the tube by a driving shaft upon the end of which the device is mounted, the cleaning action being accomplished by means ofrotary cutters carried in centrifugal mountings on the body. As the device rotates, the cutters are thrown outwardly and-contact with the inner 15 wall of the tube with a hammering action, and,

because of the severe service to which they are subjected, the cutters frequently have to be removed and replaced by new ones while the device is on the job. Accordingly, unless the'taking apart and reassembling of the device is a simple matter and can be accomplished quickly and preferably without the use of tools, considerable time may be lost in maintaining the device in proper working order and the cleaning operation, therefore, becomes expensive.

The present invention is directed to the provision .of a tube cleaner of the rotary type having novel features of construction, which permit it to be dismantled and assembled with great ease. This device consists of a fewsimple parts so that it is inexpensive to make, and it can be produced in varying sizes for use in tubes of different diameters.

One form of the device comprises a bodywhich is provided with spaced projections from one end, the body being provided with a pair of bores, each of which extends through the body and one of the projections. In each bore, is a rod on which is pivotally mounted an arm which car-.

40. ries a shaft on which the operating elements are mounted, the. shaft having a portion which extends into the space between the projections and another portion which extends out beyond removed, the means holding the shafts in position may be removed. This permits displacement of the shafts from the arms and the operating elements drop off the shafts as the latter are slipped out of the arms. The dismantling of the device can be accomplished quickly and without the use. of tools and theassembling of the parts to place the device in operating condition is equally simple and requires no tools.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which 7 Fig. 1 is a view of the device in side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a front end view;

Fig. 3 is a view on the line 33 of Fig. 4--with parts removed;

Fig.4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig.- 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line6-6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a view of certain parts which interlock, the parts being shown detached from the device to make clear the interlocking'action.

Referring now to the drawing, the device in the form illustrated includes a body 10 which is provided with parallel spaced projections 11, 12 extending from one end thereof. At its other end, the body is provided with a threaded open ing 13 for the reception of the end of a driving shaft 14, the shaft having a flange 15 near its end. The body is provided with a pair of bores, each of which extends through the body and through one of the projections, and each bore contains a rod 16 having a head 17, both ends of the rod being exposed with the head lying in front of a projection. The end of the rodexposed at the end of the body is slotted as indi-' cated at 18, and a ring 19 having parallel channels 20 formed in its edge on opposite sides lies in contact with the end of the body with its portions of reduced thickness received in the slots in the rods. The ring is held in position against the end of the body by the flange 15 on the driving shaft and, .whenin'this position, it holds the rods. against displacement. When the device is removed from the shaft, the ring can be slipped out of the slots in the rods, by movement in a plane substantiallyat right angles to the longitudinal axes of the rods, and the ,rods may then be moved out the forward ends of the bores.

Pivotallymounted on each rod at the end of each projection is an arm 21-, this arm having an opening through which the rod extends and being confined between the head of the rod and the end of the projection. In its free end, each arm is provided with an opening through which extends a shaft 22, and this shaft has a portion which lies in the space between the projections and another portion which extends out beyond the ends of the projections,the latter end of the shaft terminating in a head 23. Mounted on the shaft are operating elements 24 illustrated inthe form of toothed cutter wheels, a number of cutter wheels being mounted on each portion of the shaft with one group of cutter wheelsconfined between the outer surface of the arm and the head 23 on the shaft, and the other group confined between the other surface of the arm and the end of the body between the projections.

In order to hold the shafts against displacement, each arm is formed with a lengthwise bore containing a pin 24, and the bore intersects the openings through the arm. Each shaft is formed with a recess 25 and each pin is formed with a recess 26, and when the pin is in proper position in the bore, it enters the recess in the shaft, thereby holding the shaft against endwise displacement. The rod entering the recess 26 in the pin holds the pin against displacement.

In assembling the device, a number of cutter wheels are placed on a shaft and moved along until the end wheel contacts with the head on the shaft. The shaft is then passed through its opening in the arm and the remaining cutter wheels placed in position on the other end of the shaft. The pin which is slightly longer than the arm is then inserted in the bore through the arm, the shaft being turned so that the pin enters the recess 25 in it. The pin is then turned so that its recess is in position to receive a rod, and the rod is passed through the opening in the arm with a portion entering the recess in the pin. Theassembled parts are then placed on the body with the rod passing through the bore in the projection and body, and the several operations are repeated for the second group of parts. When both rods and their associated parts are mounted on the body, the rods are turned so thatthe slots in their rear ends are in position to receive the ring 19 and the latter is slipped in place by movement in a plane substantially at right angles to the longitudinal. axes of the rods. The device is now completely assembled and, ready to be mounted on the driving shaft, and when it is so mounted, the shaft holds the ring against displacement and the several parts are thus locked in position.

When it is desired to take the device apart, one of the arms is swung out and struck a sharp blow with any convenient object to start it turning on the drive shaft. The device is then unscrewed from the shaft and, as. soon as that has been done,.the ring 19 is slipped out of the slots in the rods, and the rods and pins are removed, freeing the cutter shafts. These can then be easily drawn out of the arms and a new set of cutter wheels substituted for those which have been worn out. Since no close fits are required, the dismantling and reassembling of the device is a simple operation and the replacement of a worn set of cutter wheels by a new set can be made quickly and without difliculty.

I claim:v

1. A. cleaning tool comprising a body having spaced projections from one end, an arm pivotal-' ly. mounted on each projection, a shaft mounted inanopening through each arm, said shaft having a portion entering the space between said projections and terminating close to said end of the body and having another portion extending beyond the ends of said projections and terminating in a head, operating elements on both portions of each shaft, the elements on one portion being confined by the arm and head and those on the other portion being confined between the arm and the end of the body, and means for holding each shaft against endwise displacement.

2. A cleaning tool comprising a body having spaced projections from one end, a pair of rods each extending through a bore in the body and through a projection, an arm pivotally mounted on each rod at the end of a projection, a shaft mounted in each arm and having a portion lying in the space between said projections and another portion extending beyond the projections, operating elements mounted on each shaft, means for securing each shaft against endwise displacement, and means for holding said rods against displacement.

3. A cleaning tool comprising a body having spaced projections from one end, a pair of rods each extending through a bore in the body and through a projection, each rod terminating in a head, an arm pivotally mounted on each rod at the end of a projection and held in place on the rod by its head, a shaft mounted in each arm and having a portion lying in the space between the projections and another portion extending beyond the projections, operating elements on each shaft, means for securing each shaft against endwise displacement, and means for holding the rods against displacement.

4. A cleaning tool comprising a body having spaced projections from one end, a pair of rods each extending through a bore in the body and through a projection, each rod terminating in a head, an arm pivotally mounted on each rod at the end of a projection and held in place on the rod by its head, a shaft mounted in each arm and having a portion lying in the space between the projections and another portion extending beyond the projections, operating elements on each shaft, means carried by each arm for securing its shaft against endwise displacement, and means on the body for securing said rods against endwise displacement.

5. A cleaning tool comprising a body having spaced projections from one end, a pair of rods each extending through a bore in the bodyand through a projection, each rod terminating in a head, an arm pivotally mounted on each rod at. the end of a projection and held in place on the rod by its head, a shaft mounted in each arm and having a portion lying in the space between the projections and another portion extending beyond the projections, operating elements on each shaft, means for securing each shaft against endwise displacement, and a common means for securing both rods against endwise displacement.

6. A cleaning tool comprising a body having a pair of bores extending lengthwise through, the body, a rod mounted in each bore, each rod having both ends exposed beyond the body and having a head at one end, an,arm pivotally mounted on each rod and confined between the head and body, a shaft mounted in each arm, each shaft having one end terminating close to a portion of said body, operating elements mounted on each shaft, said elements being confined between said arm and said portion of thebody, means for securing eachshaft against endwise displacement,

and means engaging the headless ends of both rods and holding them against endwise displacement in either direction.

'7. A cleaning tool comprising a body having a pair of lengthwise bores through it, a rod mounted in each bore, each rod having both ends exposed beyond the body, an arm pivotally mounted on each rod, each arm having an opening through it, a shaft extending through the opening in each arm, said shaft having one end lying close to a portion of said body operating elements on each shaft, said elements being confined between said arm and said portion of the body, means on the arm for preventing displacement of the shaft, and means engaging the other ends of the rods for preventing their displacement in either direction. I

8. In a cleaning tool, the combination of a body having a pair of lengthwise bores through it, a rod mounted in each bore with both its ends exposed beyond the body, said body having an opening at one end for reception of a mounting member, each rod having a recess in its end exposed at the end of said body provided with said opening, and an element surrounding said opening in the body and having a portion received in the recesses in the rods and preventing their displacement in either direction, said element being movable in a lane substantially at right angles to the axes of said rods and being held in place against the body by the mounting member when the bodv is attached thereto.

9. In a cleaning tool, the combination of a body having a pair of lengthwise bores through it, a rod mounted in each bore with bothits ends exposed beyond the body, said body having an opening at one end and each rod having a recess in the portion exposed at said end of the body, a ring at said end of the body surrounding said opening and having a portion received in the recesses in the rods and preventing their displacement in either direction, said ring lying between said rods and being slid into and out of position by movement in a plane substantially at right angles to the axes of the rods, and a driving member having a portion extending through the ring and into the opening in the body.

10. In a cleaning tool, the combination of a body having a pair of lengthwise bores through it, a rod mounted in each bore and projecting beyond the ends of the body, said rod having a head at one end, an arm pivotally mounted on each rod and confined between the head and the end of the body, said arm having an opening through which the rod extends, a headed shaft extending through another opening in each arm, operating elements mounted on said shaft, said elements being confined by the head on said shaft andby a portion of the body, a bore in said arm intersecting the openings therethrough, a pin in the bore entering a recess in the shaft and having a recess entered by the rod, said pin holding the shaft against displacement and being held against displacement by the rod, and means engaging the headless ends of the rods and holding them against displacement.

11. In a cleaning tool, the combination of a body having spaced parallel projections from one end and a pair of bores, each extending through the body and a projection, a rod mounted in each bore and having both ends exposed, one-end having a head, an arm pivotally mounted on each rod at the end of a projection, said arm having an opening through which the rod extends and said arm being confined between the head on the rod and the end of a projection, a shaft extending through an opening in said arm and having a portion entering the space between said projections and a portion lying beyond the arm and terminating in a head, operating elements mounted on each'portion of said shaft, part of the elements being confined between the head on the shaft and the arm and the remainder between the arm and the end of the body, a bore in the arm intersecting the openings through it, a pin in the bore entering a recess in the shaft and holding it against displacement, said pin having a recess entered by the rod and being held thereby against displacement, and a member having portions entering recesses in the headless end of each rod, said member holding said rods against displacement.

- JAMES HENRY YOUNG. 

